quantities of grain and sesame go this way, especially to Marseilles. Haifa has begun to attract imports for Damascus as well as for Arabia, and may well play the part in southern Syria that seems destined for Alexandretta in the north. It is now connected by rail with Jerusalem, from which, however, it is twice as far as Jaffa.
Jaffa, in spite of the disadvantages of its harbour, has a large export and import trade, being not only the centre of a fertile district, which produces especially oranges, wine, and oil, but also the port of Jerusalem and the nearest regular port to Egypt, whither goes an appreciable part of the local produce. The bulk of the orange export, with some durra, goes to England.
Latakia and Saida are on much the same level, and serve only local needs. The former is best known for the black tobacco which it exports to England and Egypt. Saida, besides oranges, eggs, figs, &c., exports a little bitumen from Hasbaya, on the slopes of Hermon.
Of the minor ports, Akka and Gaza are visited by steamers after the harvest for the export of grain. Akka has no natural advantages compared with the adjacent Haifa, with which it is now connected by rail, and which is likely future to handle the Hauran cereals, of which there has been some export via Akka in the past. Barley from Gaza is taken by England.
(iii) Adequacy to Economic Needs; Possibilities of Development.
The inadequacy of the Syrian ports in their present condition has long been recognised, even Beirut being inconveniently small. Works at Alexandretta are, however, included in the concession of the Baghdad Railway Company, which began some operations there in 1912, while a French concession for harbours at Haifa, Tripoli, and Jaffa was agreed on in 1913, and arrangements for their construction at Haifa and Jaffa, at an estimated cost in each case of fifteen to twenty million francs, were in progress at the outbreak of war. Jaffa stands in especial need of some artificial protection for
